


Venture

by Donya



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Humour, Parenthood, Post Mpreg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-21
Updated: 2015-03-21
Packaged: 2018-03-18 09:26:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3564590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Donya/pseuds/Donya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Loki shows up one night to leave his newborn at Tony's doorstep and then pops up from time to time to criticise Tony and have a bad influence on the child.</p><p>'Tony feeling completely inept in his new parenting role (...) Loki popping up with occasional (unasked for) baby input/remarks and then Tony getting mad that he thinks he gets any say.' (prompt by TwilightDeviant)<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	Venture

One night Tony heard the most bizarre sound coming from the hallway. For a moment he thought it was a whimpering kitten calling for his mummy. The problem was he did not have a kitten. Little cries grew louder as the creature that made them became more impatient. At that moment Tony was sure he was still dreaming because Jarvis informed him that it was a baby brought there by Loki. That was impossible, for countless reasons.

The noise didn't let him sleep. Resigned, Tony left the bed and went to check if that was another of Loki's tricks. Loki wasn't there any more, he realised and almost tripped over a basket that was placed on the floor. The first thing he noticed was a pair of blue eyes staring at him questioningly. Then a white blanket, tiny fists and a note. A baby in a basket, Tony didn't believe his own eyes, a real baby, not an illusion. After an eternity of muttering 'no, no way' Tony carefully took the note and recognised Loki's handwriting. _This is your son_ , the note read, _Gunnar_. That was all, no explanation, so typical of Loki. Tony reread the note, glancing at the baby uneasily. It felt so unreal to deal with a problem like that in the middle of the night.

 _Your son, your son_. Tony shook his head, what a nonsense, he couldn't get Loki pregnant. It was not physically possible. Sure, they had sex that one time they weren't fighting but still, Loki was not able to conceive and carry a child, right? That meant Loki 'borrowed' someone else's baby to scare the living hell out of Tony.

Gunnar, if that was his real name, was one of those newborns that are called beautiful only by their parents. Pink, wrinkled skin, huge eyes and thin limbs, the baby boy was ugly and there was no way Tony's hypothetical child could be that hideous. It didn't help that some whitish liquid was drying on the baby's chin and neck, Tony guessed the young man spat up his last meal. Gross.

'I assume you can't tell me where to find your real parents, hmm?' Tony asked the child, who chose that moment to open his mouth, present his toothless gums and wail dramatically. Such a tiny body and yet the noise almost broke windows and glasses. 'All right, maybe you really are Loki's child, judging from your tantrum. Where's that jerk? He needs to take you home, now.'

Gunnar continued screaming, his face turned red, fists waved in the air angrily. What was the problem, the boy had just eaten, so he couldn't be hungry. Jarvis suggested checking the diaper. Yup, that was it, the cause of the meltdown. A diaper change is not rocket science and even someone as inexperienced as Tony would manage but the lack of wet wipes and nappies complicated the situation.

'Loki, you son of a bitch, come here and take this kid!' Tony yelled, hoping that Loki was watching his ordeal. 'He stinks, take him!'

While Tony yet again counted how many months ago he lost his mind and slept with Loki, Gunnar looked like he was about to get a heart attack. His rage was impressive, the guy was days old and already so pissed off, Loki's son, no doubt. Finally Tony sacrificed a towel and the baby calmed down. Tony was grateful for a moment of silence. He had just noticed a birthmark on the child's bottom, shaped just like the one he had.

 

Gunnar stopped fussing at dawn and finally fell asleep in his basket. Tony watched the boy, he seemed almost cute when he wasn't wincing or sobbing. A fragile little creature, unwanted, abandoned. It didn't make any sense. Loki was a sorcerer, he surely knew how to avoid accidental pregnancy. Unless that was his plan all along. Maybe he needed a half Midgardian to attack the Earth again or maybe he just wanted to torment Tony and ruin his life. Several hours of babysitting and Tony already was exhausted and vowed to have a vasectomy. He couldn't risk having another child. Gunnar wept and drooled and Tony couldn't bring himself to even touch the baby, not to mention cuddling him.

Tony waited for Loki and some serious explanation. The latter was provided by an unexpected guest. Thor wanted to make sure Gunnar arrived safely. The boy grimaced or smiled when Thor took him in his arms. Tony surprised himself by feeling envious.

'Gunnar was born two days ago,' Thor said and gently stroked the baby's head. 'Loki cannot look after him now and wants the child to grow up away from Odin. You're the father and Gunnar is your responsibility now.'

'Wow, what a pleasant surprise!' Tony screeched in panic. 'I appreciate it that no one asked me first.'

'I was under the impression that you knew where babies come from,' Thor smirked and kissed Gunnar's fist.

'I thought so too but this particular child is a mystery to me. What do we do? Can't you take him to Asgard? Don't you have some old aunt or grandmother to take care of the kid?'

Thor put Gunnar back into the basket. 'Keep him safe. And if you don't mind my saying, consider getting a crib or a cradle, he can't sleep in this old basket. Toys, he doesn't have any yet and please, change his diaper, the boy smells.'

'Wow, thank you,' Tony said sarcastically and in the last moment stopped himself from getting a drink. His son was there for mere hours and already took away Tony's simple pleasures. 'Also, thank you for not telling me earlier that your brother was expecting! I bet the proud momma told you who the baby daddy is, it's great that you didn't do anything about it, really, Thor.'

'You should be grateful, I wasn't too pleased when I heard of your involvement with my brother.'

'For fuck's sake, Thor have mercy and take this child with you, I can't raise him!' Tony pleaded in desperation.

Gunnar did not enjoy their conversation and started a new screaming session. Or maybe he was hungry or cold or whatever, Tony had no idea how to deal with a newborn, they are complicated creatures that are not able to clearly communicate their needs. The only way of signalling that something is wrong is that awfully alarming wailing that shatters glass and pierces eardrums.

'Well?' Thor gave Tony a hard look. 'Are you going to do something about this? Gunnar can't just stand up and go to the bathroom, can he?'

'I don't have any nappies! I was sure Loki would come for the child in the morning.'

'Loki trusts you, he thought Gunnar would be safe with you. Do not let him down,' Thor warned and without any further discussion, returned to Asgard.

 

In the afternoon Gunnar was enjoying his very first bottle of formula. He was wearing a bodysuit one size too big, and a pair of tights. Tony was feeding the child, constantly afraid that the boy might choke to death and wondered what to do. Give the kid up for an adoption? Was that a good idea, given the amount of enemies Tony and Loki had? No, Tony didn't want to put the child's life in danger. Gunnar was a handful, impatient and fussy but it wasn't his fault his parents were fucked up. Tony felt bad about seeing him as nothing but trouble, a burden, an inconvenience. In other circumstances Tony would love every moment spent with his first-born. It was his ambition to prove that he could be a better father than Howard, yet at that moment damned Howard was winning. If only Tony had some time to prepare for being a parent, a single parent. All of a sudden none of his plans and dreams mattered. He didn't even take a shower because Gunnar might stop breathing or, Tony gulped, think he was abandoned again.

While the boy played with the empty bottle, Tony was making a list. What does a newborn need? Clothes? Toys? A car seat. A crib. A good diaper cream, a dummy and of course a nanny. Someone had to cuddle the baby and talk to him, Tony wasn't ready to try bonding with his son yet. He couldn't just switch to parentese and refer to himself as daddy. Fucking Loki, one moment of weakness and now Tony was stuck with a weeping poop machine.

 

The following day Bruce and Steve visited Tony, concerned about his sudden disappearance. Gunnar was lying on the couch, wrapped tightly in the blanket to feel safe. Tony was sitting next to him, half dead from exhaustion and on the verge of tears.

'Err, who's your friend?' Steve asked cautiously, as if he sensed Loki's involvement. Bruce came closer to the baby and greeted him warmly. Gunnar watched them, interested but soon decided it was not worth his attention and looked away.

Tony rubbed his eyes. It was like a never-ending bad dream. An unexpected child completely depending on him and no sign of Loki.

'This is Gunnar, my- umm- son,' Tony finally replied, not believing he said that aloud. ' He's- his mother left him here, so...'

Bruce didn't press the matter and encouraged Tony to take a shower and get some sleep.

'We'll stay with the baby,' added Steve and gently lifted Gunnar. 'Hey there, little guy. I'm Steve.'

Tony showed them where he kept diapers, wipes and the formula. Gunnar didn't care who was with him, he clearly didn't know Tony was his only parent. Steve held the boy close to his chest and grinned at him, Tony envied him his ability to adjust.

 

After an eternity of searching for a perfect nanny, Tony chose a kind-hearted woman who strangely reminded him of his mother. The nanny's name was Anna and Tony feared that might be Gunnar's first word, short and easy to pronounce. Easier than daddy. Anna showed Gunnar the affection he needed and didn't receive from his parents. However, the clever woman subtly tried to engage Tony in taking care of the baby and taught him how to handle a newborn. Although Tony was less afraid of accidentally breaking the baby's legs during diaper change, he still wasn't emotionally attached to his son. That was a problem because without that he saw Gunnar like other people did- as a needy, inconsolable tiny madman who alarmed the whole city with his screaming every time Tony gave him a bath. First syllables were just a noise, Tony was forced to wear old t-shirts at home because Gunnar spat up on him daily. The baby was just annoying, even when he was smiling at Tony. Those first smiles were a bitter reminder of the wall separating them, Gunnar was reaching out and Tony rejected him. It was enough effort to keep the baby safe and sound, and maintain an illusion of working and having a social life.

One day, when Gunnar was eight months old, he was playing on the floor with his teddy bears, while Tony tried to do some work. He glanced at Gunnar from time to time and at one moment he saw the boy pulled himself up against the couch. If that wasn't enough to earn a praise, the boy bravely took his very first step- towards his father. Tony was speechless, the boy made another step and fell into his arms. Gunnar giggled happily, proud of himself and Tony finally allowed himself to embrace his son and hugged him properly. Such a strong, talented baby, he took that from Tony, of course. First steps at eight months, Tony informed everyone who cared to listen about his child prodigy.

 

Gunnar knew how to win Tony's heart. On a playground he would lighten up every time he met Tony's eyes. In the morning, he would greet his father with a huge smile and lift his arms up so Tony could pick him up. And most importantly, the young Stark did love technology, at ten months he knew how to switch on his toys and Tony was forced to listen to the alphabet song for hours. Gunnar also loved watching cartoons and Tony let him, torn between feeling he was an awful, lazy father and appreciating a moment for himself. A set of toy tools was one of Gunnar's most beloved possessions and he would "fix" the door to his room by hammering it and cutting its surface with a chainsaw. Tony encouraged him to fix a Fireman Sam car using a screwdriver, a sander and a drill, and Gunnar thought it was a brilliant idea. Tony wanted to think he would love his son unconditionally, yet it was easier to accept a child that was more his son than Loki's.

Around Gunnar's first birthday, Tony took him to Steve's. A new place, a large Christmas tree and a dog shocked Gunnar, he watched everything with his wide eyes, confused. He stood on his wobbly legs, tightly gripping Tony's index finger with his right hand, refusing to let go. Tony gave in and sat on the floor, secretly pleased with being Gunnar's only source of comfort. Steve showed the boy how to pet the dog and Gunnar hesitantly patted the dog's head, then quickly returned to Tony and seated himself on his father's lap. A brave little man, overcoming his fears but not being too reckless.

 

At the age of 21 months Gunnar learn how to say daddy instead of dada and that became his favourite word. For a week or two, then came the phase of no. Tony had endless pretend arguments with Gunnar, the boy exclaimed 'No!' every time Tony said something. Also, the boy was more self-conscious and Tony started to ask him if he needed a new diaper. Gunnar saw an opportunity and he took it- he said no when his diaper was full and yes when it was clean, making Tony pull down his tights and trousers to check. Around that time Tony mastered the super secret parent ability to know what his child ate, what food he didn't like and whether or not he had some stomach problems, all just from looking at Gunnar's poop. Gross but a valuable source of information.

Gunnar attended a day care and it was almost offending how quickly he accepted the situation and didn't cry when Tony was leaving him there in the morning. The house was weirdly empty without the boy and Tony didn't know what to do with that amount of free time. He got used to playing with Gunnar and feeding him, to his surprise he realised he wasn't happy about being all alone, even though he used to crave a moment of solitude. Gunnar really needed him and that gave Tony's life a new purpose. Discovering that his son was growing up and was less dependant on him was painful.

 

Just then Loki decided to pay them a visit. Right after Gunnar's supper, when the boy's clothes were dirty, his face was white from the remains of a banana yoghurt and his hair greasy (Gunnar ate fish using his fingers and then smeared the grease on his hair, nothing new). Tony didn't want to clean the child obsessively, anyway it was right before the bath-time but Loki grimaced and moved away from the curious child, God forbid his precious armour be stained.

'This is exactly what I expected,' Loki said as a form of greeting. No word of explanation, no asking for forgiveness, no tears at seeing his child for the first time in almost two years.

Tony came up to Gunnar and picked him up, protectively wrapping his arm around his son. All the imagined conversations he had with Loki in his head became meaningless. Old bitterness and resentment were nothing compared to the paralysing fear of losing his child. What if Loki came to take Gunnar to Asgard?

'Why are you here?' Tony snapped, eager to get rid of Loki and return to his and Gunnar's evening routine.

Loki sensed Tony's intention and sat down on the couch, signalling he was not in a rush. 'Honestly, Stark, can't you just wash his face and get him clean clothes? The child is all sticky. Also, why is he still wearing a diaper, haven't you taught him to use a potty yet?'

Oh. So Loki dropped by just to criticise Tony's parenting techniques. Tony sighed in relief. A violent custody battle could wait.

'It's good to see you too, Loki. What are you up to now, hmm? What realm are you going to invade this time?'

'Please, don't act like you know anything about me,' Loki scoffed and pushed Gunnar's books away from himself. 'Pied Piper of Hamelin? Hansel and Gretel? Isn't that too scary for a child?'

'Yeah, said a parenting expert,' Tony muttered and let go of his wriggling son. Gunnar wanted to make friends with Loki and started with a wide smile. When that didn't work, he stood on Loki's boots and placed his hands on Loki's thighs.

'Yes, hello, child,' Loki awkwardly patted Gunnar's shoulder. 'Now, that's enough, I see you are excited but do not drool on me.'

'Daddy,' Gunnar introduced Tony to Loki and quickly added, pointing to himself, 'me.'

Loki rolled his eyes, unimpressed with Gunnar's social skills. 'Yes, thank you for reminding me, I have forgotten. For a moment I thought Stark had another bastard child. Can you say your name? It means a warrior and this is your future occupation.'

'Oh my God, 'Tony groaned as he put all the pieces together. 'You just needed a loyal soldier.'

'I admire your intelligence, Stark, such a sharp mind. Ok, I came by, saw Gunnar, experienced a bitter disappointment and now I'm ready to go,' Loki announced and got up. Gunnar caught Loki's leg and looked up at him, giggling. 'Child, I said enough touching, let go of your mother, this instant.'

Gunnar got mad that his offering of a game was rejected and pouted, refusing to face either of his parents. Loki mumbled something about the Stark genes and disappeared. Only then did Tony notice how badly he was shaking the whole time. The possibility of losing Gunnar was almost physically painful. He let the child become the most important part of his life and he wasn't going to allow Loki to ruin it.

 

At the age of three Gunnar realised he was not a daddy's baby any more. All of a sudden he stopped dressing himself, using a knife and fork at the table and sleeping in his own bed. Tony was too tired to do something about it, he was convinced the worst part of raising a kid was infancy but no. Every morning Gunnar threw a tantrum, 'Daddy, I want you to dress me!' Tony explained for the thousandth time how to put on socks and Gunnar didn't even try. They were always late because of that, Gunnar blubbered like it was all Tony's fault and smeared sniffles on his clean clothes.

'Put your clothes on this moment or we're not going!' Tony yelled, too worked up to care.

'I can't!' Gunnar cried, sitting on the floor and clung to Tony's leg, begging, 'Dress me!'

'No, you're a big boy now.'

'Daaad!'

Having a meal with Gunnar was a real challenge. The boy ate with his hands and when told to slow down, he automatically stuffed his mouth with two handfuls of food, then spat it out on the table. And of course, 'Daaady, feed me!' or 'I don't like tatoes!' Tony reminded him that he did like potatoes but Gunnar felt mistreated and cried. He also chewed with his mouth opened, always spilt his drink, enjoyed dipping a sausage in strawberry yoghurt and when his whole face was sticky and dirty, he wanted to give Tony a kiss.

Tony's sex life was non-existent because Gunnar developed a habit of walking into his father's bedroom at night, without knocking. 'Can I sleep here?' he would ask and climbed the bed before Tony answered.

If that wasn't enough, Gunnar became a good liar. He lied without blinking, without remorse. He never washed his hands after going to the toilet but always insisted that he did. Tony caught him once peeing into the bathtub and the boy dared to lie about that too. He told Anna,' My daddy said I can have chocolate for lunch, he said it's ok' and vehemently refused to admit he was not telling the truth. He looked into Tony's eyes and without blushing or breathing faster, he would say he had nothing to do with red hand-prints on the wall. Sooner or later he had to prove he was also Loki's son, Tony thought bitterly.

The little monster expressed his anger by spitting at Tony and hitting him. The problem was the boy was strong and it really hurt to be punched by him. Tony was dangerously close giving the boy a good spank, the child did deserve it, yet fortunately Tony found enough strength to solve the situation by putting Gunnar in a time out. After four minutes of solitude, Gunnar was apologetic and affectionate, he would say he was sorry and hug Tony.

And yet the boy would say in a very serious tone, 'Daddy I love you' in the most random moments, not when Tony was giving him sweets. Once Tony was busy cutting Gunnar's toast into four triangles, frustrated by his child's demands and then Gunnar looked at him and said, 'I love you Daddy.'

Gunnar discovered the joys of role playing. At first that made Tony proud, his little boy was so creative and had a vivid imagination. After a while, though, he dreaded such games- Gunnar was very demanding. His cars or a set of Fire Sams or knights either chased the toys Tony was given or they were falling and needed a rescue. Tony couldn't just sit in one spot, Gunnar forced him to move around and to loudly express his enjoyment. To avoid that dreadful game, Tony often offered to read Gunnar's favourite books or they played with Play Doh. The latter was brilliant, Gunnar actually played with himself by burying a tiny sheep in greyish dough (he always mixed all the colours without any consideration), while Tony was sitting next to him, making a dough snakes or snails. Gunnar was so absorbed that Tony could have some coffee without being asked, 'Why you make coffee? How you make coffee? Why you add milk?'

Gunnar knew about his mother, Tony informed him that Loki couldn't take care of him, keeping all the bitter remarks to himself. He wanted to give Gunnar and Loki a chance, maybe Loki matured and understood it's wrong to use his own child to wreak havoc on Earth.

 

Loki visited them again when Gunnar was four. Tony left the boy for a moment, hoping he would just draw a chaotic picture and well, Gunnar did draw but on his entire face and hands using markers in all colours. Tony just sighed and accepted the situation, Gunnar laughed and then Loki appeared out of nowhere.

'By gods, Stark!' Loki cried out, appalled by the sight. 'Wash him from time to time, will you?'

Gunnar froze for a few seconds, then decided to reach out to Loki, who wasn't too pleased about it.

'I just fright,' Gunnar announced cheerfully. Loki looked at him questioningly, so Gunnar added, 'You fright me.'

'What is he saying?' Loki turned to Tony, obviously disappointed with the boy's speech.

'Come on, Lokes, you know what he means,' Tony replied, too tired to fight. 'Gunnar, go wash your face.'

'Don't want to,' Gunnar said stubbornly and to distract Tony, came up with a game. 'You be Fire Ninja Go,' said to Tony and then assigned a role to Loki, 'You be purple transformer and I be Ice Ninja and shopkeeper and zoo keeper and... and... and... and...'

'Fire Sam?' Tony hinted but Gunnar shook his head.

'No, Captain Hooker!'

'What?!' Loki gasped out, stunned by the child's words.

'He means Captain Hook,' Tony explained, slightly amused. 'So, Hook, go wash your face.'

Gunnar wasn't in the mood for doing what he was told. He took of his shirt and touched his nipples. 'So tickly!' He giggled. Loki groaned and glared at Tony, suggesting their embarrassing son was only his fault.

'In case you ever doubted your parenthood,' Loki said sharply. 'A proof he's a Stark.'

'Wash your face this moment or no tablet for a month!' Tony threatened, although Gunnar didn't know what a month is. However, that worked and the boy went to the bathroom.

Loki had barely any time to criticise Tony before the boy returned, still dirty but wearing his Batman costume, a bit too tight now.

'I got my 'pecial powers!' Gunnar exclaimed and kicked the table, Tony's mug fell off and broke. 'Sorry, Daddy.'

'It's ok,' Tony assured him, resigned. He hoped the boy would stop being so awfully clumsy but at the age of four Gunnar was still a human weapon of mass destruction. At least he honestly apologised.

'I allowed to go wee wee?' Gunnar swiftly changed the subject.

'You don't have to ask me for permission, just go,' Tony instructed and boy ran away. Loki opened his mouth, yet couldn't decide what was the worst thing he had witnessed for far and only choked out, 'Goodness, Stark, what the hell?'

Tony didn't bother answering, four years of single parenting changed his perception. Nothing Gunnar did could shock him any more, even when Gunnar once took of his pants and played with his private parts in front of all the Avengers, chuckling or when he had a phase of asking, 'How we make poop and pee?' at the table. The boy was naturally curious and also wanted to elicit a strong reaction from his father and other people. 

Gunnar came back, a wet stain on his crotch. Loki grimaced, Tony asked if that was water or urine and the boy lied, as always. Hands unwashed, of course. Loki was clearly about to leave any moment but he was impressed by he child's ability to lie. To the point of accepting Gunnar's invitation to play with Lego. Gunnar built a futuristic car that kept falling apart due to structural error and Loki built him a garage. Tony watched them, unsure how he felt. He wasn't used to sharing his son with Loki but he wanted Gunnar to have both parents. So he didn't interrupt them, didn't show how much he resented Loki.

'That them house,' Gunnar exclaimed and threw a handful of Lego figures into the garage. Tony recognised a policeman, a thief, a builder and a zoo keeper.

'House? So where do they park the car?' Loki asked, chuckling. Five minutes ago he was disgusted with his son and now they were best friends.

Gunnar removed wheels from the car and remarked, 'That like boat.' He began to push the boat towards the house/garage and Loki pointed out that the boat needed crew and passengers. Gunnar took the builder and that reminded him to sing his version of Bob the Builder song, 'Bob the Builder, yes, we _can't_!' That was one of the most confusing aspects of his speech- he didn't fully grasp the concept of negation and often said crazy things like 'I _don't_ like sweets' or 'And all the king's horses and all the king's men _could_ put Humpty together again.' Also, he boycotted the verb to be, for some reason.

Gunnar decided to show Loki the rest of his toys and asked Tony, 'Us allowed to go to my room?'

'Yes,' Tony agreed, reluctantly.

Gunnar turned to Loki, 'Daddy allowed to go well?'

Loki ignored the mysterious question and narrowed his eyes at Tony. 'Great job, Stark, it's such a wonderful idea not to correct him. He sounds like an idiot.'

'Don't say things like that in Gunnar's presence, he's not deaf.'

Gunnar sensed he was losing Loki's interest and instinctively knew how to re-engage him in the game. He spotted a greyish T-Rex, half hidden under the couch and fed him the Lego zoo keeper, announcing gravely, 'He eat him blood!' It worked, Loki was delighted to discover the child's dark side and together they discussed what exactly the T-Rex ate and whether or not blood was a drink. Loki wondered what to do with the murderous T-Rex and Gunnar suggested shooting him. Loki couldn't be more pleased when Gunnar proceeded to execute the dinosaur. However, when it was done, Gunnar stunned Loki by a strange question, 'You know Hugs-and-love?'

Loki grimaced, suspecting the child wanted to give him a hug. He was totally on board with exposing his son to senseless cruelty but hugging? No way. 'Hugs and love?'

Tony chuckled, remembering how he first heard the affectionate name and how long it took him to solve the mystery. 'He means Olaf,' he explained, 'a movie character.'

'Oh my goodness,' Loki groaned, personally offended with Gunnar's lack of knowledge of Norse names.

'You know Hugs-and-love?' Gunnar repeated, eager to have a conversation about the snowman.

'No, silly.'

'Oh. His name Hugs-and-love,' Gunnar said, convinced that it was enough information.

'Child, that's just his name. I still do not know him,' Loki responded impatiently.

Gunnar looked down and mumbled, defeated, 'I just joking.' He was used to people who knew him well and wasn't quite sure how to deal with Loki. 'Let's go for work!' He proposed cheerfully moments later and grabbed Loki's hand to drag him to his room. 'Maybe I need my sword.'

'Oh, that kind of work!' Loki lightened up. 'I do approve of a work that involves swords.'

Loki did his best to feed Gunnar's morbid fascination with death and murder. For the following weeks Tony was forced to watch his son beheading figures and teddy bears with his plastic sword and cutting off their limbs. Was that the time to have a 'why killing others is wrong' conversation?

 

Loki became a frequent guest in Tony's tower, to Gunnar's delight. The boy was over the moon, a new parent that allowed him to swear, eat whatever he wanted and encouraged him to lie, it was like a dream come true. For weeks after each of Loki's visits Gunnar would reminiscent about the time he had spent with his super cool mother. Gunnar knew other mothers are strict and boring and don't approve of fun things, while his beloved mummy was a villain. Loki ignored Tony's demands to respect his rules. More and more often Gunnar would refuse to do what Tony said, explaining stubbornly that 'Mummy said I don't have to.'

 

Six years old Gunnar was dreadfully independent, it seemed he didn't need Tony any more. He would take a bath alone, dress himself without Tony's help and even knew how to peel an apple and cut into pieces. He didn't love his father any more. No more holding hands while going outside or reading a goodnight story together. Where was the sweet baby, once so affectionate?

Loki came by, as he promised Gunnar and this time told him to put on his jacket and shoes. Gunnar did so in a rush, excited beyond measure. He told Tony he was 'going venture' with Loki.

'Don't worry, we're not leaving Midgard,' Loki reassured Tony. 'I'll bring him back before the sunset. Also, I need money. Unless you want me to teach the child to steal.'

'Oh my God, this is getting worse and worse,' Tony complained. 'Fine but don't buy him anything sweet. He had a muffin today and that's enough.'

'Right, I'll buy him a carrot, then.'

Gunnar didn't even look at Tony, he only said bye. Tony wanted to follow them, knowing that Gunnar would not tell him later a word about his "venture". For some reason, the boy was unable to describe what he was doing earlier, he always insisted he didn't do anything at school, he had no stories to tell, never.

Gunnar was returned to him safely, although Tony was sure the money he gave Loki was spent entirely on junk food and sweets. Loki was satisfied, he bought Gunnar's love cheaply and left, while Tony had to deal with the result. Gunnar had diarrhoea, stained his clothes and was deeply upset about it. Tony had to wash him and explain it happens sometimes. He proved once again how mature he was by adding only in his mind that it was all Loki's fault. Gunnar idolised his mother and it was too early to be completely honest with him.

 

When Gunnar started school, Tony faced another problem. His son was completely clueless when it came to maths, physics, chemistry. Gunnar didn't even know what he didn't understand. Tony did his best not to yell and explained patiently how to calculate percentage and Gunnar was on the verge of tears because he didn't even remember the multiplication table.

'Fourteen plus nineteen?' Tony would ask randomly and Gunnar couldn't answer even that. Could that be Tony's fault? Was he pressing too hard? Or did Gunnar try to be different from his father?

To make matters worse, Loki decided Gunnar's adolescence was the right time to work on the boy's gift of magic. It turned out that Gunnar did possess 'pecial powers. Gunnar and Loki would spend hours in Gunnar's room discussing concentration and practising the basic spells, and only Tony cared about Gunnar's another failed maths exam. Gunnar didn't even pretend he gave a damn about his non-magical education. He focused on studying old books and scrolls brought by Loki. Tony was helpless, he knew what was going to happen. Gunnar was fourteen, completely friendless, showing no romantic interest in girls or boys, nothing really kept him on Earth. Loki hinted the boy was awaited in Asgard. The only reason Tony was entrusted with bringing up Gunnar was that Loki could't be bothered with changing diapers or rocking a baby to sleep, he wanted a child that doesn't require much of his attention and can take care of himself- an independent teenager.

Tony caught himself glancing at young parents cooing at their babies, thinking they had no idea what lay ahead of them. Those sweet, innocent children were going to abandon them, leave them all alone and empty-nested. Gunnar was still so young, he needed guidance, love and care, was Loki aware of that? Was Gunnar? Tony wanted nothing more but to protect his child from any danger, lead him through his turbulent years and make sure Gunnar knew how to tell good from evil. However, Tony couldn't automatically assume that Loki's intentions were different. After all, Loki did his best to bond with Gunnar and helped him embrace magic. Plus, Gunnar had to make his own choices, learn from his own mistakes and live his own life, Tony couldn't control his son any more.

They packed his bag together, after they had established that Gunnar really wanted to move to Asgard and wasn't pressured to so by Loki. Gunnar decided to leave most of his possessions, knowing that Loki had prepared everything for his arrival in Asgard, including dark, leather outfits.

'I'm sorry I disappointed you,' Gunnar said in a small voice, holding some old photographs of himself and Tony. 

Tony folded Gunnar's favourite scarf and put in carefully into the bag, feeling guilty for wishing his son was more mathematically gifted. 'You have never disappointed me. I hope I didn't make any major parenting mistake, I've tried to raise you the right way. And remember, you can always come back, you are always welcome here.'

_Don't let Loki brainwash you into a ruthless villain, never forget you're loved and accepted unconditionally. Do not share your mother's bitterness and mindless anger._

 

Loki came to collect the boy. Gunnar looked uncertain and younger than he was, he hugged Tony tightly and cried. Tony wanted to hear, 'I've changed my mind, I'm staying here.' Instead, Gunnar promised to spend his birthday with his father, in three months' time.

'Protect him at all cost,' Tony told Loki, rubbing Gunnar's back comfortingly. It used to be so easy to soothe Gunnar, a simple lullaby, a little sweet treat was enough. Now none of that would work. 

'I've been doing that ever since he was born.' Loki said coolly and touched Gunnar's arm. 'Enough of this nonsense, we need to go.'

Tony caught the last glimpse of his son's red face, wet with unending tears and that was it. His only child for whom he had sacrificed so much was gone, leaving him hollow and heartbroken. Tony thought he was prepared for that, for the ringing silence and devastating emptiness, he used to live alone. He poured himself a drink, then another, wondering how his child was doing in Asgard. Probably making friends with his eight-legged brother.

**Author's Note:**

> The Hugs-and-love/Olaf confusion is a true story.


End file.
